Athletes React To Bethany Hamilton Announcing She Won't Compete Against Biological Males In World Surf League

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Female surfer Bethany Hamilton made news on Sunday when she announced she will no longer compete in the World Surf League. The WSL passed a rule allowing biological men who identify as female to compete in the women's division.

Hamilton noted that many women in the league are against the policy, but afraid to speak out. She says that she cannot just stand by and allow this unfair policy to destroy her sport.

Women support Bethany Hamilton's protest

Across social media, reaction poured in surrounding Hamilton's statements. Many women put their support behind her and thanked Hamilton for having the courage to speak out.

Olympic Gold medalist skier Julia Mancuso supports the decision of Bethany Hamilton to not compete against biological males.

Olympic Gold medalist skier Julia Mancuso supports the decision of Bethany Hamilton to not compete against biological males. (Screenshot: Instagram)

Riley Gaines is an outspoken critic of biological men competing against women after she was forced to swim against Lia Thomas in college.

Male athletes also put their support behind Bethany Hamilton, including fellow surfer Shane Dorian and former NBA center Andrew Bogut.

Fellow surfer Shane Dorian supports the decision of Bethany Hamilton to not compete against biological males.

Fellow surfer Shane Dorian supports the decision of Bethany Hamilton to not compete against biological males. (Screenshot: Instagram)

Kickboxer Dustin Aiwohi-Barca supports the decision of Bethany Hamilton to not compete against biological males. (Screenshot: Instagram)

Hamilton stands by her comments despite pushback

Of course, not all reaction was positive. There are the usual people parroting talking points like "trans women are women" and calling Hamilton a "transphobe" for not wanting to compete against men in a women's competition.

Despite the backlash, Hamilton commented on her own Instagram post and said that although she understands the other side, she is not backing off of her stance.

Good for Bethany Hamilton for standing up for what she believes in. In this case, she believes there is an unfair advantage for men competing against women. That's objective fact, so the pushback is always comical.

Either way, in a world where athletes take politically popular stances and are considered "brave," Hamilton shows true bravery.

She knew this stance would cause people to label her and call her names. She doesn't care.

We should all strive to be more like Bethany Hamilton and less like LeBron James.

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to Outkick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named “Brady” because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.